Volunteer Group’s Success in Locating Missing Persons Sparks Collaboration with Tasmania Police
Tasmania Police has expressed its openness to learning from a dedicated volunteer search group that has, for the second time, successfully located human remains. This development follows the recent discovery of remains during a renewed search for Peter Willoughby, a 76-year-old man from Scottsdale who vanished in October of the previous year. Mr. Willoughby was last seen entering the Hollybank Reserve, located north-east of Launceston, in his quest to find his car.
While formal identification of the remains is expected to take several weeks, Tasmania Police Inspector Aleena Crack indicated that clothing and other items found at the scene strongly suggest they belong to Mr. Willoughby. This marks the second significant success for the volunteer group, which also played a crucial role in locating the remains of Belgian national Celine Cremer earlier this year.
The volunteers involved in these searches have now formalised their efforts by establishing an incorporated group named FOLLO – Find Our Lost Loved Ones. Their aspiration is for FOLLO to soon achieve charitable status, enabling them to provide more extensive assistance to families grappling with missing persons cases across the island.
Inspector Crack acknowledged the effectiveness of the volunteer group’s methods and stated that the police force is keen to review their own search operations and the tactics employed by FOLLO. “Police are always open to any learning and any input we can have from groups, particularly when there is such success as this one,” she commented. “We’re definitely open to discussions with the search group as to what their methods were.”
Examining Search Methodologies: Police vs. Volunteer Approaches
Inspector Crack defended the initial police search for Mr. Willoughby, noting that the area where the remains were eventually discovered was indeed covered by police efforts. However, she explained that the police search was conducted “under different circumstances.”
“The police search-and-rescue response is done rapidly in the best possible way, with the focus of trying to find somebody alive, whereas a more thoroughly planned search over a greater period of time has a different focus with different terrain and different resources,” Inspector Crack elaborated. She also confirmed that police had engaged with the volunteer group prior to their search, sharing valuable information such as search patterns. “We have no plans to stop engaging with groups such as this,” she added, underscoring a commitment to ongoing collaboration.
FOLLO’s “Line Search” Method Proves Effective
Matt Strickland, a volunteer with FOLLO who participated in the recent search, attributed their success to the group’s meticulous “line search” methodology. This technique involves systematically covering terrain grid by grid.
- The “Line Search” Method:
- Volunteers walk in a coordinated line, maintaining a consistent distance from each other.
- This method ensures thorough coverage of the search area, leaving no stone unturned.
- It is particularly effective in dense vegetation, where visibility can be limited.
“There [was] a lot of fern foliage and that sort of thing, it just wouldn’t have been very conducive to any other type of search,” Mr. Strickland explained, highlighting the challenging conditions of the Hollybank Reserve. He expressed a sense of honour in being able to provide closure to Mr. Willoughby’s family. “We have proved that we can do it twice, so we are just happy with our methods and we’re going to bring those methods to other searches and help other families,” he stated with conviction.
Future Endeavours for FOLLO and Tasmania Police
When questioned about potential future collaborations on other missing persons cases, Inspector Crack indicated that such considerations are likely to be addressed in due course. “I’m sure that thoughts will be put into that in the future,” she remarked, suggesting that the successful partnership between Tasmania Police and FOLLO is poised to continue, offering hope to more families in their time of need. The establishment of FOLLO as a registered charity could significantly enhance its capacity to support these vital search operations.
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